1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the design of sheet metal fabrications and more particularly to a method for designing a sheet joint which is to be joined by spot welding.
2. Discussion
Small welded flanges for sheet metal joints typically permit a reduction in the weight of a fabrication, improve the appearance of the fabrication and/or aid in the achievement of one or more of specific goals related to an application, such as improved visibility for vehicle occupants. However, the size of such welded flanges is often limited by various manufacturing and processing variables as well as the capabilities of standard equipment (i.e., commercially available weld tools and tips). The manufacturing and processing variables include, for example, wall angles, bend radii, tolerances, electrode shapes, variations in sheet metal thicknesses and electrode wear.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a quick, efficient and accurate method for sizing sheet metal joints in a manner which permits them to be welded together by standard resistance spot welding tools.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a data processing system for determining a minimum flange length for a resistance welded joint.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for sizing the flanges of a sheet metal joint to permit welding of the sheet metal joint with standard equipment.
A data processing system is provided for determining a minimum flange length for a joint to be welded by resistance spot welding. In particular, the data processing system utilizes data for a preselected weld electrode type and a set of joint data representative of a joint to be welded to determine whether a set of corrected tip data or a set of uncorrected tip data is to be used in determining the minimum flange length. A method for calculating the minimum flange length is also provided.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.